Snow removal implement

ABSTRACT

An implement for removing snow is arranged having a blade and a handle, the blade in profile presenting a first side portion and a laterally opposite toe second side portion extending for the upper edge of the toe second side portion in the blade profile to be lower than the bottom rail of a stairway when a bottom edge of the blade extending on the aforementioned first side portion and on the toe second side portion is brought extending contiguous to forward and backward ends of a stair step tread surface and a side edge afforded by the first side portion is brought extending contiguous to upper and lower ends of the rise surface of a next upper stair step with having the handle disposed for operating the blade relative to these tread and rise surfaces to remove snow laterally of a stairway and in this eventually bringing the upper edge of the toe second side portion in a raised position of the blade under the bottom rail of the stairway for the blade to remove snow from the latter zone.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Melvin P. Stasechke 3630 S. Windchester Ave., Chicago, 111. 60609 [21] Appl. No. 777,085 [22] Filed Nov. 19,1968 [45] Patented Mar. 23, 1971 [54] SNOW REMOVAL IMPLEMENT 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 15/236, 37/53, 294/54 [51]. 1nt.Cl E01h5/02 [50] FieldofSearchW 15/236, 245, 210; 37/16, 12; 30/169; 294/54 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 314,592 3/1885 Maillet 294/54 1,473,143 11/1923 Dean 15/236 1,633,119 6/1927 Mackay... 15/210 2,045,762 6/1936 Elliott 15/210 2,799,952 7/1957 Weingand 37/53 Primary Examiner-Walter A. Scheel Assistant Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Attorney-John B. Armentrout ABSTRACT: An implement for removing snow is arranged having a blade and a handle, the blade in profile presenting a first side portion and a laterally opposite toe second side portion extending for the upper edge of the toe second side portion in the blade profile to be lower than the bottom rail of a stairway when a bottom edge of the blade extending on the aforementioned first side portion and on the toe second side portion is brought extending contiguous to forward and backward ends of a stair step tread surface and a side edge afforded by the first side portion is brought extending contiguous to upper and lower ends of the rise surface of a next upper stair step with having the handle disposed for operating the blade relative to these tread and rise surfaces to remove snow laterally of a stairway and in this eventually bringing the upper edge of the toe second side portion in a raised position of the blade under the bottom rail of the stairway for the blade to remove snow from the latter zone.

PATENTED MARZ 3 I97! INVEN TOR. Me/w'n f? Smsch/re g/Mm ATTORNEY SNQW lREM D'VAlL IMPLEMENT The abstract invention relates to snow removal implements and more particularly to hand implements which are characby having utility for removing snow from a stairway.

An object of this invention is the provision of a manually operable snow removal implement which is well suited for being complementally on a flight of stairs and for being projected under the bottom rail of a stairway in effecting snow removal on manual. operation.

Another object herein is the provision of a practical and reliable snow removal implement which is capable of being manipulated for quite effectively moving snow from the tread surface of a stair step and concurrently snow from the rise surface of the next upper stair step while thus being active in proximity to both of the steps, and which implement may be advanced manually still in quite effective working positions on the stairway to reach well through the space underneath a bottom rail of the stairway for moving snow through and away from that space.

(Ether objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part pointed out more fully hereinafter.

in accordance with the present invention a snow removal implement having a handle and a blade is provided, there being a bottom edge of the blade to scrape snow from the tread surface of a stair step, the bottom edge having first and second ends laterally spaced apart on laterally opposed first side and toe second side portions of the blade at distance for the bottom edge first and second ends respectively to be adjacent to backward and forward ends of the tread surface of a stair step. Also, there is a side edge of the blade on the aforementioned first side portion to scrape snow from the rise surface of a stair step. A first end of the side edge is joined with the first end of the bottom edge, the side edge being approximately in a right-angular relation to the bottom edge and having a second end spaced on the length of the blade from the first end of the side edge a distance for the side edge to extend having the first and second ends thereof respectively adjacent to the lower and upper ends of a stair step rise surface. The toe second side portion and the first side portion aforementioned have upper edges in the blade profile respectively joined with the second end of the bottom edge and with the second end of the side edge, the upper edges of the toe second side portion and of the first side portion extending for the profile of the blade to be lower at least throughout the toe second side portion than the bottom rail of a stairway in a raised position of the blade wherein the second end of the side edge of the blade is adjacent to the upper end of a stair step rise surface and the second end of the bottom edge is adjacent to the forward end of the tread surface of a next lower stair step. The handle of the blade extends to tolerate the blade having the second end of the side edge adjacent to the upper end of a stair step rise surface and the second end of the bottom edge adjacent to the forward end of the tread surface of a next lower stair step to scrape snow from a stairway and out from beneath the bottom rail of a stairway an meanwhile the profile of the blade at least throughout the toe second side portion lower than the bottom rail of the stairway.

in preferred embodiments the handle has a position relative to the blade in which the handle longitudinally projects outwardly of the upper edges of the first side and toe second side portions of the blade from the profile of the blade substantially coincidentally with a line which is within the plane of the blade and perpendicularly intersects the bottom edge of the blade at a point intermediate the toe second side portion and the first side portion. Thus, in view of the configuration of the blade and the latter disposition of the handle relative to the blade, a person using the implement may for example stand directly opposite either of the opposed profile faces of the blade and work with similar accessibility of the blade toward a corresponding one of either of opposite rails of a stairway then being confronted.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and and distinctly claiming the subject matter which i regard as my invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description with reference to the illustrative embodiment thereof represented in drawings herewith in which:

Fit). 1 is a partially broken away perspective view of one of my snow removal implements disposed in a fully erect position on a stairway;

FIG. ll is a front elevation of the implement of P16. 1 with the handle still in part broken away; and

H6. 3 is a side elevation of the same implement as viewed from the left in MG. 2..

Like reference characters appearing in the several views of the drawings are intended to designate like components.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment represented in the accompanying drawings, a snow removal implement designated in general by the reference numeral l6 includes a blade ll having a substantially straight bottom edge 12. Respective first and second ends 12a and 12b of the bottom edge 12 occur on laterally opposed first side and toe second side portions 13 and 114 of the blade. As will be seen in H6. 1, blade ll interrelated with a stairway 3d has these first and second ends 12a and 12b spaced apart a sufficient distance on the width of blade ill for the bottom edge l2, resting on the tread surface 3'7 of the stair step 36 and leading with the step lengthwise of the tread surface, to have the edge ends 12:: and 1219 respectively adjacent to backward and forward ends 37a and 37b of the tread surface. A first side edge 15 of blade ll on the first side portion 13 is substantially straight and in approximately a right angular relation to the bottom edge l2, being joined at a first end 15a with the first end 12a of the bottom edge.

With further reference to FIG. l, it will be seen that a second end lldb of the side edge i5 is spaced from the first end l5a a sufficient distance on the length of blade ll for the blade in raised position having bottom edge l2 on the tread surface 37 and side edge 15 against rise 42; of the next upper stair step ill to present second end 1% of the side edge adjacent to the upper end 4219 of the rise surface 42 and meanwhile present first end lda of the side edge adjacent to the lower end 42:: of this same rise surface.

The toe second side portion id of blade ll has an upper edge if terminating joined at tip l6 with the second end 1212 of the side edge l2. Tip id is blunt a substantially straight edge which extends generally parallel with the side edge 15 and thus appreciably lengthens the profile of the blade to an advantage in this region; however, at the same time the tip l6 importantly is considerably shorter in length than side edge 15 thus to have the upper end llib of the side edge at a higher level than the tip with the blade ll in a raised position wherein the bottom edge i2 is horizontal.

implement id is further characterized by having a handle 30 which longitudinally projects outwardly from the profile of blade ll substantially coincidentally with a line which is in the plane of the blade and perpendicularly intersects the bottom edge 12 at a point intermediate the first side portion l3 and the toe second side portion lid. An inner end 3% of handle Ell has a groove 3i therein entrantly toward an outer end Btla of the same handle, as will be understood from FIGS. 2 and 3. A portion ll? of blade ll, lying intcrmediately of the first side portion 13 and the toe second side portion id, extends in groove 3i, and this intermediate .portion l7 and the handle inner end 3012 have spaced apart sets of aligned apertures entered by fasteners Ell, such as rivets, securing the handle and blade together. Blade ll may be of steel, a rigid synthetic resin, or of any other suitable material or materials, and the handle 3b is for example of wood. In certain embodiments in accordance with the invention the handle and blade are initially united such as by casting the snow removal implement as an entity through use of any suitable material in an appropriate mold.

Turning again to the EMS. of the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the upper edge ill leading from a rounded juncture with tip it: diverges progressively away from the bottom edge l2 to a juncture of this upper edge with upper edge 19 of the first side portion 13 in the region of the handle 30. This divergence of upper edge 18 relative to the bottom edge contributes length to the profile of the blade 11 for snow in depth to be acted upon and yet this divergence in maximum is kept to be within limits wherein the profile of the blade throughout the toe second portion 14 will be lower than the bottom rail of a stairway with the bottom edge 12 substantially horizontal having the second end thereof contiguous to the forward end of a stair step tread surface and with upper end 15b of the side edge l5 contiguous to the upper end of a next upper stair step. One such position of blade 11 is represented in FIG. 1 wherein it will be noted that edge ends 1215 and b are respectively adjacent to the tread surface forward end 37b of step 36 and to the rise surface upper end 4212 of the next upper step 4%. Upper edge 33, in the substantially vertical plane occupied by the blade 11 in FIG. 1, is lower than the bottom rail 45 of the stairway and of course will be even lower in positions corresponding to conditions where handle and thus the blade ill are tilted forward somewhat out of the vertical plane by a person who then pushes the implement it) to scrape snow from tread surface 37 concurrently with from rise surface 42 and out below the stair rail 45, having edge 18 enter beneath this rail thereby allowing further reach of the implement. Edge 1E5 advantageously is a substantially straight edge having an inclination with reference to the bottom edge 12 which corresponds generally to the inclination of the bottom edge of a stair rail with reference to a stairway step tread surface.

Upper edge 19 of the first side portion 13 of the blade, leading from the juncture thereof with edge 18 at the intermediate portion 17 of the blade in the region of the handle 30, diverges progressively away from the bottom edge 12 on substantially the same straight line course as edge 18 and has an end 19a removed from the handle. Upper end 15b of the side edge '15 is joined with the end 19a of the upper edge 19 through substantially right angularly interrelated edges 21a and 21b of a notch Zll in the first side portion 13 of the blade. Edge 21a more particularly extends substantially parallel with the bottom edge 12 and laterally inwardly on the blade profile from a rounded juncture with the upper end 1511 of the side edge 15 while edge 21]) extends substantially parallel with side edge 15 from a juncture with edge Zla to a rounded juncture with end 19a of edge 19. As will be seen in FIG. 1, the position of notch 21 in the blade 11 enables the blade to accommodate the projecting nose 41 of stair step and the first side portion 13 to project disposing the side edge 15 under that nose and contiguous to the rise surface 42 of the step. Edge 210 preferably is low enough in the blade profile for the blade to be brought to a substantially erect position on a stairway, comparable to the position of the blade represented in FIG. 1, thus to allow the implement to be tilted and even brought to a fully erect position from a snow scraping tilted position without binding against the stair nose. Thus with the edges 18 and 19 both lower in the aforementioned erect position of the blade than the bottom rail, the implement lends itself to further maneuverability, namely that of being manually pivoted on the axis of the handle 30 in either direction from the position in FIG. 1 to have correspondingly either the first side portion 13 or the second side portion 14 pass under the rail 45 in a snow-removing action. in the present invention the configuration of the blade whether substantially trapezoidal or not may omit the notch 24.

As the invention lends itself to many possible embodiments and as many possible changes may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore set forth it will be distinctly understood that all matter described herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not as a limitation.

lclaim:

An implement for removing snow, said implement comprising a blade having opposed profile faces and a handle, there being a bottom edge of said blade bordering said opposed faces to scrape snow from the read surface of a stair step while having either of said op osed faces toward the bottom rail of a stairway, there being net and second ends of said bottom edge laterally spaced apart on laterally opposed first side and toe second side portions of said blade a distance for said first and second ends respectively to be adjacent to backward and forward ends of the tread surface of a stair step, a side edge of said blade being on said first side portion and bordering said opposed faces to scrape snow from the rise surface of a stair step, said side edge having a first end joined with said first end of said bottom edge and said side edge being approximately in a right angularly directed relation to said bottom edge and having a second end spaced on the length of said blade from said first end of said side edge a distance for said side edge to be disposed having said first and second ends thereof respectively adjacent to the lower and upper ends of a stair step rise surface while having either of said opposed faces toward the bottom rail of a stairway, said toe second side portion having a tip and said toe second side portion and said first side portion having upper edges bordering said opposed faces with said first side portion leading from said upper edge thereof to said second end of said side edge being notched for said notch to receive the nose of a stair step disposing said side edge underneath the nose of a stair step and contiguous to the rise surface of a stair step, and with said upper edge of said toe second side portion being more proximate at said tip to said bottom edge of said blade than is said second end of said side edge to said bottom edge and progressively diverging with reference to said bottom edge, for said blade to be lower at least throughout said toe second side portion than the bottom rail of a stairway in a raised position of said blade wherein either of said opposed faces is toward a bottom rail of a stairway and said second end of said side edge of the blade is adjacent to the forward end of the tread surface of a next lower stair step, and said handle being united with said blade and longitudinally projecting outwardly from said upper edges of said first side and toe second side portions of said blade substantially coincidentally with a line within the plane of said blade and intersecting said bottom edge of said blade substantially perpendicularly at a point intermediate said first side and said toe second side portions, for said blade on operation of said handle to scrape snow laterally of a stairway and introduce at least said tow second side portion and said upper edge thereof beneath the lower rail of a stairway at either side of a stairway with having the appropriate one of said opposed faces leading the other of said opposed faces and meanwhile having said second end of said side edge adjacent to the upper end of a stair step rise and said second end of said bottom edge adjacent to the forward end of a tread surface of a next lower stair step.

2. An implement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said toe second side portion is blunt at said tip.

3. An implement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said upper edge of said first side portion leading toward said notch diverges with reference to said bottom edge of said blade.

4. An implement as set forth in claim 3, wherein said upper edges of said first side and toe second side portions are substantially on the course of a straight line, and said blade has a pair of edges in said notch, one of said edges of said pair being generally parallel to said side edge and the other of said edges of said pair being generally parallel to said bottom edge.

March 23, 1971 Patent No. 3 571 838 Dated Melvin P. Staschke 1nventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet [72] "Melvin P Stasechke" should rea Melvin P. Staschke and "Windchester Ave should rea Winchester Ave. Column 1 line 1 "abstract" should read present line 56, "an" should read and Colu 2, line 72, "FIGS." should read figures Column 4, line "read" should read tread line 48 "tow" should read toe Signed and sealed this 30th day of November 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer 

1. An implement for removing snow, said implement comprising a blade having opposed profile faces and a handle, there being a bottom edge of said blade bordering said opposed faces to scrape snow from the read surface of a stair step while having either of said opposed faces toward the bottom rail of a stairway, there being first and second ends of said bottom edge laterally spaced apart on laterally opposed first side and toe second side portions of said blade a distance for said first and second ends respectively to be adjacent to backward and forward ends of the tread surface of a stair step, a side edge of said blade being on said first side portion and bordering said opposed faces to scrape snow from the rise surface of a stair step, said side edge having a first end joined with said first end of said bottom edge and said side edge being approximately in a right angularly directed relation to said bottom edge and having a second end spaced on the length of said blade from said first end of said side edge a distance for said side edge to be disposed having said first and second ends thereof respectively adjacent to the lower and upper ends of a stair step rise surface while having either of said opposed faces toward the bottom rail of a stairway, said toe second side portion having a tip and said toe second side portion and said first side portion having upper edges bordering said opposed faces with said first side portion leading from said upper edge thereof to said second end of said side edge being notched for said notch to receive the nose of a stair step disposing said side edge underneath the nose of a stair step and contiguous to the rise surface of a stair step, and with said upper edge of said toe second side portion being mOre proximate at said tip to said bottom edge of said blade than is said second end of said side edge to said bottom edge and progressively diverging with reference to said bottom edge, for said blade to be lower at least throughout said toe second side portion than the bottom rail of a stairway in a raised position of said blade wherein either of said opposed faces is toward a bottom rail of a stairway and said second end of said side edge of the blade is adjacent to the forward end of the tread surface of a next lower stair step, and said handle being united with said blade and longitudinally projecting outwardly from said upper edges of said first side and toe second side portions of said blade substantially coincidentally with a line within the plane of said blade and intersecting said bottom edge of said blade substantially perpendicularly at a point intermediate said first side and said toe second side portions, for said blade on operation of said handle to scrape snow laterally of a stairway and introduce at least said tow second side portion and said upper edge thereof beneath the lower rail of a stairway at either side of a stairway with having the appropriate one of said opposed faces leading the other of said opposed faces and meanwhile having said second end of said side edge adjacent to the upper end of a stair step rise and said second end of said bottom edge adjacent to the forward end of a tread surface of a next lower stair step.
 2. An implement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said toe second side portion is blunt at said tip.
 3. An implement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said upper edge of said first side portion leading toward said notch diverges with reference to said bottom edge of said blade.
 4. An implement as set forth in claim 3, wherein said upper edges of said first side and toe second side portions are substantially on the course of a straight line, and said blade has a pair of edges in said notch, one of said edges of said pair being generally parallel to said side edge and the other of said edges of said pair being generally parallel to said bottom edge. 